This Week on DVD and Blu-ray: February 23, 2010

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: Miramax, Lionsgate, Sony, Warner Bros, Action, Animation, Documentary, Drama, Foreign, Foreign Language, Horror, Mystery, Comedy, Thrillers, Home Entertainment, Lists, New Releases,

Here are some of the DVD and Blu-ray options today:

• The Box: DVD, Blu-ray
• Cirque Du Freak: The Vampire’s Assistant: DVD, Blu-ray
• The Crazies (1973): Blu-ray
• The Damned United: DVD, Blu-ray
• Dead Snow: DVD, Blu-ray
• Everybody’s Fine: DVD
• Ichi the Killer: Blu-ray
• The Informant!: DVD, Blu-ray
• Justice League: Crisis on Two Earths: DVD, Blu-ray
• Make Way for Tomorrow: DVD
• Motherhood: DVD, Blu-ray
• The September Issue: DVD
• Sorority Row: DVD, Blu-ray
• Trailer Park Boys: Countdown to Liquor Day: DVD, Blu-ray

Make sure to also check out the TV-on-DVD options for this week.

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Box Office Breakdown: Chance of Meatballs is Winning Recipe

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, FOCUS, Lionsgate, Sony, Universal, Warner Bros, Weinstein Company, Adaptation, Animation, Drama, Family, Horror, Period, Romance, Sequels, Comedy, Box Office, Lists,

While it may not have had a Damon, an Aniston or a Fox, Cloudy with a Chance of Meatballs had something no other film did this weekend: a win. The animated adaptation raked in $30.3 million over the weekend easily pushing it to the top of the charts. The PG-rated entry towered over the box office and nearly tripled its nearest competitor (The Informant). The 3-D film also gave Sony Pictures Animation its biggest debut to date.

Elsewhere, two Hollywood beauties were struggling to make a respectable showing. Despite (or because of) a number of notable quotes, Megan Fox failed to muster any interest in her first starring vehicle. Jennifer’s Body, a horror film penned by Diablo Cody, raised a whopping $6.9 million for a fifth-place finish. (I’m not even sure that would be enough to fund one day of a Transformers production.) Megan Fox might not be a fan of Michael Bay, but she better be grateful she met him.

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Read More | Variety

Box Office Breakdown: Tyler Perry Can Win All By Himself

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, FOCUS, Lionsgate, Sony, Warner Bros, Weinstein Company, Action, Adaptation, Adventure, Animation, Drama, Horror, Period, Science Fiction, Sequels, Comedy, Thrillers, Box Office, Lists,

Leave it to Tyler Perry to take on the horror industry.

The actor/writer/director’s latest film, I Can Do Bad All By Myself, earned $23.4 million over the weekend—enough to stop The Final Destination from taking its third crown in a row. The urban comedy, starring Taraji P. Henson and Mary J. Blige, more than doubled its nearest competitor since opening Friday and gave Perry his third biggest debut to date.

I Can Do Bad also topped Sorority Row, the newest scare flick to enter the scene. Although the movie boasts more recognizable names (Audrina Patridge, Rumer Willis) than Destination, the R-rater barely scraped up $5.1 million for a 6th place finish.

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Read More | Variety

In Theaters This Weekend: September 11, 2009

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: FOCUS, Lionsgate, Warner Bros, Documentary, Drama, Foreign, Horror, Comedy, Thrillers, Lists, New Releases,

Here are a few selections in theaters this weekend:

• 9 (PG-13): starring Elijah Wood, Jennifer Connelly, Martin Landau (directed by Shane Acker)
• I Can Do Bad All By Myself (PG-13): starring Tyler Perry, Taraji P. Henson, Mary J. Blige (directed by Tyler Perry)
• Sorority Row (R): starring Briana Evigan, Rumer Willis, Audrina Patridge (directed by Stewart Hendler)
• Whiteout (R): starring Kate Beckinsale, Gabriel Macht, Tom Skerritt (directed by Dominic Sena)

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Donnie Darko Sequel Begins Filming

Posted by Robin Paulson Categories: 20th Century Fox, Adventure, Horror, Mystery, Science Fiction, Sequels, Thrillers, Casting, Upcoming Releases,

In unfortunate sequel news, newbie director Chris Fisher (Rampage: The Hillside Strangler Murders, Nightstalker) has taken on the S. Darko project, the follow-up to Richard Kelly’s cult classic Donnie Darko. Production began today in Los Angeles.

Fox has, for unclear reasons, picked up this sequel, which focuses primarily on Samantha Darko’s road trip to Los Angeles with her friend. Along the way, they are haunted by mysterious visions marked by meteorites and rabbits. Samantha is, of course, the younger sister of Donnie’s (the irksome dancer in Sparkle Motion) and will be 18 years old in the film, apparently now a troubled teen in a broken home.

Daveigh Chase is so far the only original cast member reprising her role as Samantha. Newcomer Briana Evigan (Step Up 2: The Streets), Gossip Girl‘s Ed Westwick, and Dragonball Z star Justin Chatwin have also signed on for this awful production.

Apparently the film’s sales group, Velvet Octopus, is expecting the film to become a box office favorite once it hits theaters in 2009. If anyone truly appreciates Richard Kelly’s masterpiece, they will opt not to see this flagrant movie next year.

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Screen Daily

In Theaters This Holiday Weekend (2/14)

Posted by Veronica Santiago Categories: 20th Century Fox, Paramount, Touchstone, Universal, Action, Adaptation, Drama, Family, Foreign, Foreign Language, Independent, Period, Religious, Romance, Science Fiction, Comedy, Lists, New Releases,

Here are some possible suggestions for Valentine’s Day weekend:

• Definitely, Maybe (PG-13): starring Ryan Reynolds, Rachel Weisz, Abigail Breslin (directed by Adam Brooks)
• Jumper (PG-13): starring Hayden Christensen, Samuel L. Jackson, Jamie Bell (directed by Doug Liman)
• The Spiderwick Chronicles (PG): starring Freddie Highmore, Mary-Louise Parker, Nick Nolte (directed by Mark Waters)
• Step Up 2 the Streets (PG-13): starring Briana Evigan, Robert Hoffman, Will Kemp (directed by Jon M. Chu)

  Click to continue reading In Theaters This Holiday Weekend (2/14)